Ho model



PATENTED JAN. 5, 1904.

E. CLIFF. DOOR CLOSER AND OHECK.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 21, 1903i 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I0 IODEL.

'WITNESSES I O ATTORNEY N0 MODEL.

PATENTED JAN. 5,1904. E. CLIFF. DOOR CLOSER AND CHECK.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 21, 1903.

Q 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, WITNESSES:

Y lNVENTOR Edward 6212? BY Wbw ATTORNEY norms Mavens m. PRQYQ-LKTHO WASHINGTOR. n. cy

Nu. 748,929. j PATENTED 1mm, 1904. E. GLIFP'. 1100B CLOSER AND CHECK. APPPIGATIOH FILED MAY 21, 1903.

H0 MODEL. v 3 SHEETS-SHE 3- WiTNESS S:

Patented January 5,1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD CLIFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DOOR CLOSER AND CHECK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7d8,929, dated January 5, 1904.

Application filed May 21, 1903. Serial No. 158,091. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that LEDWARD CLIFF, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Closers and Checks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates toimproveinent's in door closers and checks; and it consists'in the novel features, arrangements, and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to produce a' very durable, simple, efficient, and inexpen sive door-closer, which may or may not, as de-' sired, be combined with a checking medium.

The nature of the invention and satisfactory means for carrying the same into effect may be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in WhlGl'l-.

Figure 1 is a top view of a door-closer, the lever-arm and connecting-rod being partly broken away, constructed in accordance with and embodying myinvention, the same being represented as arranged for a single-acting right-hand door. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of same on a plane extending at a right angle to the line of the door, the parts of the closer being represented in the normal position they will assume when the device is not applied upon a door or when it is in use upon a double-acting door. Fig. 3 is a detached lower end view of a piston constituting one of the operative parts of a closer. Fig.4 is a vertical section through a portion of the doorcloser on the dotted lines 4 4 of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a detached top view of the exterior casing of the door-c1oser,the cap therefor being omitted; and Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are diagrammatic views illustrating in several positions the cooperative relation of the cam -grooves and roller hereinafter referred to to each other,

said grooves being shown as drawn out straight and respectively provided in the facing portions of the piston and inclosing casing, Fig. 6 illustrating the cooperative relation of said cam-grooves to each other when the piston is turned in one direction, Fig. 7 illustrating thesame when the piston is turned in a reverse direction, Fig. 8 showing the initial relation of said grooves to each other when the door-closer is applied to a double-acting door and the door is in closed position, and Fig. 9 indicating the initial relation of said grooves to each other when the door-closer is applied upon a single-acting right-hand door in the manner represented in Fig. 1. In the drawings, 10 designates an exterior cylindrical casing in cup form, receiving at its upper end the cap 11 and containing the piston 12 and door-closing spring 13.

The upper edges of the casing 10 are threaded and receive corresponding threads formedv on the downwardly-extending flange 14 of the cap 11. The cap 11 is formed with the central depending sleeve 15, through which extends the actuating-spindle 16, the latter projecting upwardly above the cap 11 and receiving on its upper end, in the usual manner, the lever-arm 17, to which the customary rod 18 is pivoted, said rod 16 being provided with a bracket 19 for application to the lintel over a door,while the casing 10 is formed with flanges 20 for enabling it to be securely fastened upon a door. The lever-arm 17, rod 18, bracket 19, and flanges 20 are familiar featuresin this art and are referred to as indicating one method of making use of the features more particularly constituting my invention and which are located within the casing 10.

The spindle 16 has a cylindrical upper portion fitting freely within the circular bore of the sleeve 15 of the cap 11, and below the said sleeve 15 the spindle 16 is polygonal in crosssection and enters the correspondingly-shaped bore of the vertical sleeve 21, extending upwardly from the head of the piston 12, the purpose of the polygonal formation of the lower end of the spindle and interior of the sleeve 21 bcing,during the openingand closing ,of the door, to compel under the action of the spindle 16 a rotary movement in said piston.

Intermediate the outer side flange 22 and sleeve 21 of the piston 12 is freely confined the lower end of the spring 18, this spring being a stout coiled spring hearing at one end against the piston 12 and at its other end against the lower surface of a ring 23, loosely encompassing the sleeve 15 of the cap 11 and having in its upper surface an annular groove 24, corresponding with an annular groove 25 in the lower face of the cap 11, within which grooves are placed the series of balls 26, which enable the axial turning of the piston 12, spring 13, and ring 23 without creating undue friction between said ring and the cap 11.

In the upper surface of the lower end of the casing 10 is formed agroove 27, which extends nearly around the lower end of the casing and inclines upwardly in opposite directions from the central portion of said groove, the central portion of the groove being its deepest part, and from this central portion the groove 27 inclines upwardly toward its opposite ends, so that the base of the groove forms a double incline on a circular path.

The lower end of the piston 12 is formed with a groove 28 of double incline form and correspo'n ding with the groove 27 in the lower end of the casing, the grooves 27 28 facing and matching each other and receiving between them the ball-roller 29, which rests within the groove 27 and extends upwardly within the groove 28. The piston 12 is spring-pressed upon the ball 29, and the latter takes the weight of the piston. The normal position of the ball 29 is centrally within the deeper portions of the grooves 27 28, this being more especially true when the piston is not in use, as will be explained hereinafter. The purpose of the ball 29 and double-incline grooves 27 28 is during the opening and closing of the door to effect and control the vertical movements of the piston 12, the ball 29 during the opening of the door and rotation of the piston 12 riding up the inclined surfaces of the groove 27 and down the inclined surfaces of the groove 28 and acting as a wedge to force the piston 12 upwardly against the spring 13, the latter being thereby compressed. When the door is released, the spring 13 will move the piston 12 downwardly, said piston at such time having a reverse rotary motion upon the ball 29, the pressure of the spring causing said ball to return into the deeper portions of the grooves 27 28 to its initial position, the reverse rotation of the piston 12 during such movement serving to turn the spindle 16 and through the latter and the lever-arm 17 and rod 18 close the door.

The casing 10, with its inclosed parts, may be employed simply as a door-closer; but in many instances it will be found desirable to combine with the closer feature of the device a checking medium, and hence in the preferred construction and use of the apparatus I substantially fill the casing 10 with oil or other suitable checking liquid and provide the piston 12 with a by-pass or port 30, the latter being employed in connection with a checking and regulating screw 31, extending upwardly through the lower end of the casing 10 and having a conical or tapered upper end 32 to enter the said by-pass or port 30 when the piston 12 is in its lower position, which will be when the door is in its closed position. When the piston is elevated, as during the opening of the door, the port 30 will gradually ascend from the end 32 of the screw 31, and as the said port 30 leaves the said end 32 it (the said port) will more fully and freely allow the passage downwardly through it of the oil or checking liquid. When the door is released to close, the piston 12 while descending will carry its port 30 downwardly upon the end 32 of the screw 31, and as the door approaches its closed position and the piston 12 its lower position the port 30 will become gradually closed by the said end 32, with the result that the liquid below the piston-head will be gradually restricted in its upward escape and check the descent of the piston and the closing of the door. When the piston 12 is in its extreme lower position, the port 30 is substantially closed by the upper end 32 of the screw 31. The liquid which passes upwardly through the port 30 during the descent of the piston 12 finds its escape upwardly around the sides of the lower end of the spindle 16.

If desired, the piston 12 may be provided with an additional port 33, controlled by a ball-valve 34, as usual in this art, although in many instances it will not be necessary to make use of this port 33. When the port 33 and ball-valve 34 are employed, the oil or checking liquid will pass freely down through the port 33 during the ascent of the piston 12, and during the descent of the piston 12 the ball 34 will close the port 33, and the liquid below the piston 12 will be compelled to find its escape upward through the port 30.

I regard it desirable to employ a checking oil within the casing 10, so that a door employing the device may not close with a bang and because the oil will lubricate the moving parts within the casin g and probably facilitate their operation.

When the door-closer is not is in use, the spring 13 not being then restrained by any connections of the devicewith a door and its lintel will become expanded to the full limit permitted by the interior of the casing 10, and under such condition the ball 29 will be in the deeper corresponding parts of the grooves 27 28, and the levenarm 17 will extend outwardly at right angles to the faceline of the flanges 20, which is the position of the parts represented in Figs. 2 and 8, the spring 13 although still under tension having no power to move the arm 17 from such right-angular position.

When the door-closer is applied to a single-acting door, the lever-arm 17 will be moved to one side from its aforesaid right-angular position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the rod 18 will be secured to the lintel in the usual manner, the effect of thus moving the lever 17 being to turn the spindle 16, piston 12, spring 13, and ring 23 slightly and cause the ball 29 to ride a short distance up the lower incline 27 and down the upper incline 28 to the positionindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and diagrammatically in Fig. 9,which will be the normal position of the ball 29 when the device is on a right-hand door and the spring 13 will exert its force in an effortto turn the piston 12 to a farther extent and restore the ball 29 into the deeper portions of the grooves 27 28, but will be unable then to thus actuate the piston and 'balhbecause of the door then being in closed position and resisting any rotation of the spindle 16 under the action of the spring 13, the effect of this condition being that the force of said spring will firmly hold the door closed.

Upon the opening of the door the leverarm 17 will rotate the spindle 16, and said spindle will rotate the piston 12, spring 13, andring 23, the rotation of said piston cans ing the ball 29 to roll upwardly along the lower incline 27 and downwardly along the upper incline 28, Fig. 6, and to thereby after the manner of a wedge effect the elevation of the piston 12 and the compression of the spring 13. When the door is released to close, the spring 13 will expand and efiect the reverse rotation of itself, ring 23, piston 12, and spindle 16, thereby closing the door and returning the ball 29 to its initial position, (shown in Fig. 1), the retreat of the ball 29 under the pressure of the spring 13. into the deeper portionsof the grooves 27 28 permitting said reverse rotation of the parts mentioned. The ring 23 rotates with the piston 12 and spring 13, because of the fact that said ring is mounted against ball-bearings and is strongly pressed against by the spring, it being easier for the ring to turn with the spring than for the upper end of the spring to slide during its rotation against the lower surface of said ring.

It will be observed that one of the more essential features of the present invention is that the piston is spring-pressed upon the ball or roller bearing 29 and that said ball or roller is confined and has its motion between two converging or oppositely-inclined surfaces, whereby the ball or roller 29 during the opening of the door is caused to move up one of the inclined surfaces and down the other of the inclined surfaces and during the closing of the door is caused to move down the lower inclined surface and up the upper inclined surface, and I desire to claimtnis fea ture broadly and without regard to special de tails of construction or arrangement, it only being necessary that the ball or roller 29 shall be capable of rolling uniformly and that it shall be confined between the aforesaid inclined surfaces. In the presentinstance the grooves 27 28, whose bottom surfaces furnish the oppositely-inclined surfaces, confine the ball or roller in its proper path, and since the said grooves are employed in connection with the spherical roller 29 they are in cross-section given the outline of the arc of a circle. It will be observed, therefore,that the ball 29 is simply a roller or roller-bearing confined and adapted to move between the reverselyinclined facing surfaces intermediate the piston and apart of the casing.

I prefer that the inclined surfaces furnished by the grooves 27 28 shall each extend on oppositely-inclined lines from the deeper portion of the groove, as shown in the drawings, because with such construction the doorcloser is adapt-able for either right or left hand doors or doubleacting doors without change as to the interior mechanism. In the drawings I show the position of the parts for a right-hand door, and the only change necessary for applying the closer to a left-hand door is to swing the lever-arm 17 and connecting-rod 18 to the opposite side of the aforesaid right-angular position of said leverarm, whereupon the entire construction will be in condition for use on a left-hand door. It will thus be seen that the closer .is adapted for both right and left hand doors and that no mistake can occur in the application of the closer to either right or left hand doors.

The door-closer hereinbefore described is also applicable for double-acting doors, such as pantry-doors, because the closer without change will permit a door to be opened in either direction, the oppositely-inclined surfaces at each side of the deeper portion of the grooves 27 28 adapting the device for a .hinge, it being usual to employ door-closers upon the side of a door or beneath a door;

The construction of door-closer shown is thus adapted for use either upon single-acting doors or double-acting doors or upon 1efthand doors or right-hand doors; but I desire it to be understood that when preferred the closer may be so constructed that it will be only applicable for a single-acting right-hand or a single-acting left-hand door. If the doorcloser should be intended solely for a singleacting door and not applicable for either right'hand doors or left-hand doors at will, it

would be unnecessary to extend the grooves 27 28 to equal distances beyond their deeper portions, because when the closer is applied to a single-acting door only the converging inclined facing surfaces at one side of the deeper portions of the grooves 27 28 are brought into operation. I extend the grooves 27 28 in the construction shown in the drawings to both sides of the deeper portion of said grooves, so that the one closer may be rendered applicable for double-acting doors or single-acting right or left hand doors indiscriminately.

'What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. In a door-closer, the casing, and the spindle to be. rotated by the door, combined with &

adapted, while rotating, to be moved longitudinally, the closing-spring bearing against said piston, and the roller intermediate said piston and casing, said piston and casin g having the oppositely inclined facing surfaces confining and forming a path for said roller, and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against both of said surfaces during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

2. In a door-closer, the casing, and the spindle to be rotated by the door, combined with the piston connected with said spindle and adapted, while rotating, to be moved longitudinally, the closing-spring bearing against said piston, and the roller intermediate said piston and casing, said piston and casin g having the oppositely-inclined facing surfaces confining and forming a path for said roller, and each of said surfaces inclining outwardly in opposite directions on diverging lines from a given point, and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against both of said surfaces during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

3. In a door-closer, the casing, and the spindle to be rotated by the door, combined with the piston connected with said spindle and adapted, while rotating, to be moved longitudinally, the rotary ring encompassing said spindle, the closing-spring held between said ring and piston and the roller confined between said piston and casing, said piston and casing having the oppositely-inclined facing surfaces confining and forming a path for said roller, and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against both of said surfaces during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

4. In a door-closer, the casing, and the spindle to be rotated by the door, combined with the piston having a sliding-key connection with the said spindle and adapted, while rotating, to be moved longitudinally, the cap for said casing having a sleeve encompassing a part of said spindle, the rotary ring below said cap, ball-bearings intermediate said cap and ring, and the roller confined between said piston and casing, said piston and easing having the oppositely-inclined facing surfaces confining and forming a path for said roller, and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against both of said surfaces during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

5. In a door-closer, the casing adapted to contain a checking liquid, and the spindle to be rotated by the door, combined with the piston connected with said spindle and adapted, while rotating, to be moved longitudinally, the closing-spring bearing against said piston, the roller intermediate said piston and casing, a passage from one side to the other of said piston for the checking liquid, and means for restricting said passage during the closing of the door, said piston and easing having the oppositely-inclined facing surfaces confining and forming a path for said roller, and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against both of said surfaces during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

6. In a door-closer, the casing adapted to contain a checking liquid, and the spindle to be rotated by the door, combined with the piston connected with said spindle and adapted, while rotating, to be moved longitudinally, the closing-spring bearing against said piston, the roller intermediate said piston and casing, a passage for the liquid through said piston, and the adjusting regulating-screw extending through said casing and having the tapered end normally entering said passage, said piston and casing having the oppositelyinclined facing surfaces confining and forming a path for said roller, and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against both of said surfaces during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

7. In a door-closer, the casing, and the spindle to be rotated by the door, combined with the piston connected with said spindle and adapted, while rotating, to be moved longitudinally, the closing-spring bearing against said piston, and the roller intermediate said piston and casing, said piston and casinghaving the facinggrooves confiningand forminga path for said roller and afiording the oppositely-inclined facing surfaces for cooperation with said roller, one of said surfaces being carried by said piston and the other stationary with said casing, and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against both of said surfaces during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

8. In a door-closer, the casing,'and the spindle to be rotated by the door, combined with the piston connected with said spindle and adapted, while rotating, to be moved longitudinally, the closing-spring bearing against said piston, and the roller intermediate said piston and casing, said piston and casing hav ing the facing grooves confining and forming a path for said roller and affording the oppositely-inclined facing surfaces for cooperation with said roller, each of said surfaces inclining outwardly in opposite directions on diverging lines from a given point, and one of said surfaces being carried by said piston and the other stationary with said casing, and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against both of said surfaces during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

9. In a door-closer, the casing, and the spin- IIO dle to be rotated by the door, combined with V parts has the inclined surface against which said roller is by said piston and spring compelled to ride during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

10. In a door-closer, the casing, the piston,

and means for rotating said piston from the door, said piston being adapted, while rotating, to be moved longitudinally, combined with the closing-spring bearing against said piston, and the roller intermediate said piston and easing, said piston and easing having the oppositely-inclined facing surfaces confining and forming a path for said roller, and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against both of said surfaces during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

11. In a door-closer, the casing, the piston, and means for rotating said piston from the door, said piston being adapted, While rotating, to be moved longitudinally, combined with the closing-spring bearing against said piston, and the roller intermediate said piston and easing, said casing and piston having the oppositely-inclined facing surfaces forming a path for said roller during the ro= tation of said piston, each of said surfaces inclining outwardly in opposite directions on diverging lines from a given point, and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against both of said surfaces during the rotation of said piston; substantially as set forth.

l2. In a door-closer, a spindle to be rotated from the door,-a rotary part connected therewith to be rotated therefrom, another part in line with and facing said rotary part for cooperation therewith, and the roller confined between the facing surfaces of said parts, said facing surfaces being provided with the oppositely-inclined facing grooves forming a path for said roller and said roller being in engagement with and compelled to rotate against the surfaces of both of said grooves during the rotation of said rotary part, and one of said parts being movable toward and from the other part in accordance with the direction of travel of said roller, combined with the door-closing spring confined against that one of said partswhich is capable of movement toward and from' the other part; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 19 th day of May, A. D. 1903.

' EDWARD CLIFF.

Witnesses:

CHAS. (3.v GILL, ARTHUR MARION. 

